Municipalities are public corporations made by the legislature for political purposes, with political forces, to be practiced for purposes identified with general society great, in the organization of common government. Municipalities are instruments of government subject at all times to the control of the council as for their length, forces, rights, and property.

Roles and Functions
A Municipal Corporation works in coordination with the State Government for the effective execution of the various plans and programs.
All municipal acts in India divide functions, powers and responsibilities into the following two categories:

• Obligatory
• Discretionary

Some obligatory functions:
• Supply of pure and wholesome water
• Construction and maintenance of public streets
• Lighting and watering of public streets
• Cleaning of public streets, places and sewers
• Regulation of offensive, dangerous or obnoxious trades and callings or practices
• Maintenance or support of public hospitals; establishment and maintenance of primary schools
• Registration of births and deaths; removing obstructions and projections in public streets, bridges and other places
• Naming streets and numbering houses.

Some discretionary functions:
• Construction and maintenance of public parks, gardens, libraries, museums, rest houses, leper homes, orphanages and rescue homes for women
• planting and maintenance of roadside and other trees
• Housing for low income groups
• Conducting surveys
• Organising public receptions, public exhibitions, public entertainment; provision of transport facilities with the municipality
• Promotion of welfare of municipal employees